Originally Posted by gmw
I thought that the rule/guideline/advice was that in prose numbers should be written as words not numerals - words keep the reader flowing with the prose, numerals break them out. This rule is usually tempered by practicalities: years written in numerals (1969, or '69), and longer/complicated or exact numbers are often provided as numerals (12,364 or 354.12). The numeral version of these is generally easier for a reader to take in than the long-winded word version.
To take up your example, I would have said that "ten thousand years ago" version was the more typical (and IMO better) choice in most situations. If, however, some precise history was being given then "10,234 years ago" might be the better option (than "ten thousand, two hundred and thirty four years ago").
I've read such advice simplified down to: if you can write the number in two or three words then use words, otherwise use numerals.
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